Hiruzen: Absolutely safe.

---

In Naruto's office, as the day of graduation from the ninja academy approached and preparations for team assignments began, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, smoking his pipe. He had already made key decisions and was now seeking out Kakashi Hatake.

"Kakashi, Naruto Uzumaki, the son of Minato, will be graduating soon," Hiruzen said, tapping his pipe against the desk.

"And Sasuke Uchiha, the last remaining member of the Uchiha clan."

"I'm planning to place them in the same team and assign you as their leader. What do you think?"

Hiruzen gazed at Kakashi as he asked, his tone thoughtful and deliberate. If it had been an ordinary team of graduates, Hiruzen could have easily assigned any capable Jonin as their leader. But this group was different. Too many unique and special individuals were emerging from this year's class, requiring his careful attention.

For example, the new generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio—one of Konoha's most valuable and time-tested formations—was already assigned to his youngest son, Asuma Sarutobi. Maintaining the bond between the Sarutobi clan and the three families of Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji was essential, so it was only natural for Asuma to lead this group.

Then there was Hinata Hyuga, the heir to the Hyuga clan; Kiba Inuzuka of the Inuzuka clan; and Shino Aburame from the Aburame clan. They had also been placed together in a team and assigned to Kurenai Yuhi, a talented Jonin with strong ties to Hiruzen's family, as his son Asuma was actively pursuing her.

Although Kurenai hadn't officially accepted Asuma's advances, Hiruzen was confident it was only a matter of time. After all, Asuma was his son, the offspring of the Third Hokage.

Hiruzen had a personal stake in the future of these special graduates. And among them, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha were two of the most important individuals. Their futures had to be managed carefully, and Kakashi was the ideal Jonin to guide them.

While Hiruzen had reduced surveillance on Naruto after he demonstrated his commitment to the Will of Fire during his time at the academy, he still kept a close eye on the boy. After all, Naruto carried the Nine-Tails within him, and ensuring his well-being was of utmost importance.

Using his Telescope Technique, Hiruzen summoned an image of Naruto's current whereabouts, displaying the scene on his crystal ball. What he saw puzzled him.

"Pokémon House?" Hiruzen murmured, his brow furrowing.

"Is this some sort of ninja shop? Hmm, I see Anko and Kurenai are there too."

In the crystal ball, Hiruzen saw Naruto with a fox-like creature in his arms, Anko with a small, snake-like Pokémon on her shoulder, and a man he recognized as Fuji standing nearby. Behind Fuji floated another peculiar creature—Hoopa.

The Third Hokage had kept tabs on everyone who had any interaction with Naruto, so he immediately recognized Fuji, though he wasn't sure what these strange creatures were.

"I remember this place. It's Fuji's shop. Seems like it's expanded to sell these ninja creatures... Pokémon, are they called?"

Hiruzen took another puff from his pipe, deep in thought. Although the creatures—like the six-tailed fox in Naruto's arms and the snake-like Pokémon with Anko—seemed harmless, their purpose and potential were unknown. He would need to keep an eye on Fuji's shop and investigate further into these "Pokémon" to ensure that nothing threatened the safety of the village.

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